Lessons
by PreciousCherryBlossums
Summary: With every tutoring lesson, Ryoma become progressively more aware of Sakuno...


_First Lesson._

Ryoma gave a little bored sigh, leaning back into the dining table chair. Sakuno on the other hand, sat stiffly upright in her chair, staring hard down at the notebooks and textbooks spread out before her on the table. Her hands fiddled with each other nervously on her lap.  
"I really appreciate this Rinko, this was a great suggestion."  
Ryoma folded his arms and his eyebrows raised a little, eyeing the increasingly fidgety and nervous girl across from him. This was a great suggestion? One day of his precious tennis-filled week given up to tutor that?  
"Oh it's nothing at all. It's wonderful to have Ryoma do something besides tennis."Ryoma scowled. And what was wrong with tennis? It was hell a lot better than….Sakuno hesitantly raised her eyes and happened to meet Ryoma's sharp hazel ones which made her flush even more furiously and quickly brought her head back down, focusing hard on her fingers clasped tightly together. Ryoma rolled his eyes. Nothing has changed since the 6 years they first met.

"Hopefully, Sakuno's grades will rise soon so you can have your son back," Sakuno's grandma laughed.  
"Eh keep him. He needs to go out and enjoy his youth anyways." Nanjiro laughed uproariously behind his newspaper from his position out on the porch.  
Rinko shushed him and lead Sumire out, chattering pleasantly about how this arrangement would help the both of them.  
The high school seniors were left alone in silence. An awkward silence.  
Sakuno darted a quick glance over at the black-dark-green haired boy who did not look happy at all.  
"Um…I-"  
Ryoma interrupted, "Let's get this over with." He gestured at the books with his chin. "What do you need help with." The way it came out, it wasn't a question but just a resigned sentence that had to be uttered to get this "tutoring" underway.  
"Ah well I started my homework already but I-I got stuck…."  
Sakuno reached over hurriedly and fumbled with her papers, shuffling them about as she looked frantically for her assignments.  
Ryoma watched her exasperated and wholly-uninterested.  
Eventually she got her papers in order and shly pointed out the question where she got stuck. "Here…I didn't understand it…"  
Ryoma leaned forward slightly to scan the question. Just a simple English comprehension problem. "It's asking what is the climax and the falling resolution."  
"Oh~" Sakuno leaned forward intently and began rereading the passage and then began scribbling down her answers. Ryoma continued to fold his arms and looked past her at the window, thinking about tennis.  
And so the next sixty minutes passed like that. Sakuno struggling through her homework and Ryoma uninterestedly offering some help whenever she started stuttering for his attention.  
Eventually Sakuno closed her notebook with a thankful faint thump. Ryoma stood up immediately. Finally this pointless-  
Rinko gracefully glided into the dining room with a plate of cookies. "How is the studying? I brought some goodies to keep your energy up."  
"Oh, we just finished. And-and-"  
Rinko frowned at them disappointedly. "Already done? It's only been an hour!"  
Sakuno shyly began stuffing her stuff into her backpack, "I really should be going home now. I-I don't want to take up any more-"  
Ryoma was already tuning them out. Finally his work here was done.  
"Oh no no Sakuno. You just take as much time as you need! Ryoma here," Rinko grabbed her tall son's arm," really needs to do something besides tennis."  
Ryoma scowled, but his mother paid no attention. She clapped her hands together, excitedly. "Oh you know what would be an excellent idea?" Ryoma gave a warning look to his mother, not liking where this was headed, "making these lessons into dates!"  
Sakuno dropped the book she was holding, making the cookies plate rattle. "Wha-what? Oh no-I just need-" Ryoma roughly pulled his arm away from his crazy mother, "Mom!"  
Rinko laughed amused, "Oh you two, so shy." She covered her laughing mouth with a hand, as she teasingly said, "Oh alright, let's call them "outings". You should change the location every week. It will be boring to have the lessons every time here in the dining room."  
Sakuno gave an uncertain smile at Rinko. She really did whatever she wanted. "Um then next time…my house then…?" came Sakuno's tentative suggestion. Ryoma scowled even more. Now he's going to have make extra effort at these outings/lessons?  
"Oh yes yes, just get this son of my mine out of the house and off the tennis courts" Rinko pushed the plate of cookies toward Sakuno, "Do take some home Sakuno, Ryoma here is not a fan of overly sweet things."  
Sakuno shly took a couple of the white chocolate macadamia cookies, "Thank you."  
She bowed to Rinko and gave a meek goodbye to Ryoma who stood there impatiently with his arms still folded, "Thank you for your help!" came out her rushed out nervous words. And she hurried away and out the door before Rinko could tell Ryoma to walk her home.  
Sakuno might be a little slow in some areas but she could still tell when she's not wanted. She let out a big sigh. She was happy that she could actually spend time with her long-time crush but she felt guilty. He was obviously unhappy and bored to be doing this. She made two small fists and pumped them determinedly. She was going to try as hard as she could to finish these lessons as fast as possible. He probably thought he was wasting his time, being there with her.

_Second Lesson_

And he did. Ryoma inwardly groaned. Yet another Saturday afternoon wasted on this pointless lesson. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his forearms folded up on the Ryuuzaki dining room round table. How did his mother get him roped into this?  
Sakuno darted a quick glance at the mop of black/green hair on her right. His eyes were closed. She blushed a little at being so close to him and then turned her attention back to her homework determined to finish as soon as possible in order to put her crush out of his misery.  
The light scritch-scratch of the mechanical pencil in the quiet room was all that was heard for a while. Ryoma tiled his head slightly so his right cheek was resting on his forearm. He opened his catlike eyes slowly and focused them lazily on the hardworking girl to his left. This was so boring. His mother didn't understand tennis at all. It was exciting and got his heart racing. Quite the opposite of…  
Ryoma scanned the girl through-half lidded eyes.  
Six years. And yet the same long braided brown hair. The same stuttering mannerisms. The same skinny body….Ryoma turned his head more to get a better look.  
No he supposed she looked a little different. Did she get taller? He never noticed before their height difference. He got a lot taller over the years that was obvious but did she too? He mused that she probably gained a couple of inches at least. Hmm he would have to pay attention when they're standing.  
Ryoma's eyes rest on Sakuno's face. That focused look of hers was something he had seen multiple times before whether it was practicing tennis or struggling through English exams. But her features….they were kind of different. Her large round eyes were still as bright as ever, though currently slightly narrowed at a particularly confusing questions Her face was a little more narrow and not as round as before.  
Ryoma's eyes moved lower. She was pretty pale for a girl who played tennis. Huh. He never thought about his own skin getting tanned because of tennis. Ryoma's eyes darted down quickly at his arm. He guessed he was kinda tan compared to her. Sakuno's pencil paused momentarily and Ryoma glanced at it, expecting to hear a stuttered word but the pencil began moving again and Ryoma lost interest again. Attention drifting downward.  
Though he couldn't see because of the dining room table, he imagined her hips would be as wobbly as ever. A faint flashback of the first time he called her that, played through his mind, distracting him a little. His eyes fell upon her neck, noting how slim it was and traveled lower. Hm… he couldn't tell for sure because of the loose top she was wearing but it seems like she gained some weight? Her body looked different, it -  
"Ryoma."  
He blinked and sat up. "Yes?"  
Sakuno was looking at him curiously and then shyly averted her eyes down at her paper. "Can-can you help with this?"  
"Ah yeah sure."  
Ryoma shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. Now what the equation to solve this math problem?

Sakuno awkwardly stood by the doorway as Ryoma stepped into his shoes.  
"Thanks for your help again," she said softly and shyly. "See you next week…" Sakuno blushed and ducked her head.  
Ryoma gave a noncommittal noise, thinking about other things. He straightened up after fixing his shoes and looked over at the girl. His eyes quickly darted back and forth between her and himself. Ryoma tried to gauge the height difference. Maybe he was the only one who grow taller. Did girls have growth spurts too?  
Ryoma took a step closer to stand in front of Sakuno, who looked up startled. "Oh!" He looked down at her who stared up at him with her big eyes too surprised to look away. She was small. Just barely reaching his chin he guessed.  
Ryoma turned abruptly and walked out the door.  
"Bye."  
Sakuno stared at him, confused and then waved weakly at his back, "Bye…"


End file.
